US20060068068A1 - Accelerated steam generation method for convection steam cooking device - Google Patents
Accelerated steam generation method for convection steam cooking device Download PDFInfo
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- US20060068068A1 US20060068068A1 US10/955,712 US95571204A US2006068068A1 US 20060068068 A1 US20060068068 A1 US 20060068068A1 US 95571204 A US95571204 A US 95571204A US 2006068068 A1 US2006068068 A1 US 2006068068A1
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- pool
- steam
- cooking cavity
- heat source
- cooking
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L5/00—Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor
- A23L5/10—General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
- A23L5/17—General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying in a gaseous atmosphere with forced air or gas circulation, in vacuum or under pressure
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L5/00—Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor
- A23L5/10—General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
- A23L5/13—General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying using water or steam
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to the field of commercial steam cooking devices.
- Modern steam ovens operate by heating water to generate steam and then supplying the steam to a cooking cavity containing food. Some of these steam ovens operate at low pressures, slightly above atmospheric, while others are openly vented to atmosphere. For either arrangement, most commercially available steam ovens require a substantial amount of time, on the order of 15-20 minutes, in order to start generating steam once the steam oven is turned on. Obviously, shortening this delay between turning on the steam oven and steam generation would lead to better energy efficiency and increased user satisfaction. However, efforts directed to shortening the delay have not yet resulted in significant success. Further, the control systems for steam ovens can sometimes be overly complicated, leading to increased costs.
- the present invention provides a method of operating a steam food cooking device having a cooking cavity, a pool disposed below the cooking cavity; and a heat source for heating water in the pool so at to generate steam, the method comprising: a) in response to turning on the cooking device, initiating a water flow into the pool and substantially simultaneously activating the heat source to generate heat; and b) thereafter, controlling the on/off state of the heat source based on a thermal sensor and circulating steam within the device by unforced natural convection.
- the method may further comprise thereafter automatically draining the pool in response to turning off the cooking device; and thereafter repeating steps a and b.
- the method may further comprise feeding water to the pool at a uniform rate during step b.
- the controlling the heat source may comprise turning the heat source off in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature and thereafter automatically turning the heat source back on in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature below the predetermined temperature.
- the pool may have a bottom disposed at an angle relative to horizontal, and the initiating a water flow into the pool may comprise initiating a water flow into the pool via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of the bottom.
- the heat source may comprise one or more electrical heating elements disposed in thermal communication with the pool.
- the method may further comprise limiting pressures in the cooking chamber to not more than slightly above atmosphere by connecting the cooking cavity to atmosphere via exhaust duct and a cap that moveably engages the exhaust duct.
- the cooking device may comprise a steam trap assembly disposed adjacent the cooking cavity and having downwardly extending baffle; and the method may further comprise, after step a, feeding water from the pool to the steam trap assembly.
- the present invention may provide a natural convection steam cooking device, comprising: a cooking cavity; a steam chamber disposed below the cooking cavity, having a pool, and operatively connected to the cooking cavity to supply steam thereto; a heat source for heating water in the pool so as to generate steam in the steam chamber; wherein, in response to turning on the cooking device, water feed into the pool begins and the heat source is substantially simultaneously activated.
- the heat source may comprise one or more electrical heating elements.
- the bottom of the pool may be disposed at an angle to horizontal, with a water inlet for the pool disposed on a lower side of the bottom, wherein the water feed is via the water inlet.
- the device may further comprise an automatically resetting thermal sensor connected to control the heat source such that heat source is turned off in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature, but is turned on in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature below the predetermined temperature.
- the cooking cavity may have a shape of a parallelepiped, with at least two walls defining the cooking cavity, not including a door, immovably fixed to the device and/or being non-porous.
- the cooking cavity advantageously has a volume of about two cubic feet or more, and is advantageously adapted to support a plurality of trays for holding food to be cooked.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a steamer according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cooking device of FIG. 1 illustrating the steam flow paths.
- FIG. 3 is a view of the floor of the pool.
- FIG. 4 is a view of the floor of the cooking cavity.
- FIG. 5 is a view of the right sidewall of the cooking cavity.
- FIG. 6 is a partial side view showing the exhaust chamber.
- FIG. 7 is a simplified representation of the steamer of FIG. 1 showing control of water supply, water draining, and heater energization.
- FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic of electronics suitable for use in the steamer of FIG. 1 .
- a cooking device is generally indicated at 10 .
- the steamer 10 may appear similar to steamers currently available on the market. Indeed, as is typical for such devices, the steamer 10 includes a latched door 12 for providing access to the cooking cavity 30 and controls 16 to control the operation of the steamer 10 .
- the controls 16 may take any form known in the art, and typically include an on/off switch 17 , indicator lights, a timer 18 , and other suitable electronics, such as a door-open sensor 14 for sensing when the door 12 is open.
- the electronics of the controls 16 may be generally segregated from cooking cavity 30 and may be advantageously vented to the ambient atmosphere for cooling.
- the cooking cavity 30 typically takes the form of a substantially parallelepiped chamber, preferably substantially rectangular chamber, with racks (not shown) for supporting food trays 5 as is known in the art.
- the cooking cavity 30 is bounded by suitable sidewalls 42 , 44 , 48 , a floor 50 , a ceiling 46 , and the inside of the door 12 .
- the sidewalls 42 , 44 and the ceiling 46 are advantageously immovably fixed to the device 10 and non-porous.
- the cooking cavity 30 that has a volume of about two cubic feet or more.
- the cooking cavity 30 may be vented to the atmosphere via an exhaust system 32 that typically includes an exhaust duct 34 and associated cap 36 .
- the cap 36 acts as a slight damper on the venting of gases from the cooking cavity 30 . However, once the pressure in the cooking cavity 30 reaches a sufficient level to overcome the weight of the cap 36 , the cap 36 is displaced in a “burping” action that vents some gases from the cooking cavity 30 , thereby preventing significant build-up of pressure therein.
- the cap 36 is designed to prevent the build-up of pressures more than slightly above atmospheric in the cooking cavity 30 , such as of not more than about five inches of water column. As such, no special pressure vessel structure or certification should be required for the steamer 10 .
- the ceiling 46 , rear sidewall 44 , and left sidewall 42 are solid, while the floor 50 and the right sidewall 48 have a plurality of holes 52 , 54 therein.
- the floor 50 has a plurality of holes, referred to herein as the primary holes 52 , that connect to the steam chamber 60 as discussed below.
- the primary holes 52 may advantageously be arranged in two arrays of similarly sized holes. For example, there may be sixteen rows of six holes 52 each in a middle portion of the floor 50 , with the holes 52 having a 1 ⁇ 2 inch diameter, and eight slots 52 of 1 ⁇ 2 inch by two inches arranged around the peripherally of the floor 50 . Of course, other hole arrangements may be used in other embodiments.
- the floor 50 may advantageously be readily removable from the cooking device 10 to allow access by a user from the cooking cavity 30 to at least a portion of the steam chamber 60 for cleaning. If so, it may be advantageous to enlarge one hole 52 on each end to a larger size, such as one inch, to provide a clear finger hole to aid in removing the floor 50 .
- the right sidewall 48 likewise includes a plurality of holes, referred to herein as secondary holes 54 , that connect the cooking cavity 30 to the steam chamber 60 as discussed further below. These secondary holes 54 may advantageously take the form of an array of slots, such at the 1 ⁇ 4 inch wide slots shown in FIG. 5 , but this is not required by all embodiments.
- the steamer 10 includes a steam chamber 60 located below and along at least one side of the cooking cavity 30 (see FIG. 2 ).
- the steam chamber 60 includes a pool area 62 , a first steam compartment 76 , and a second steam compartment 80 .
- the pool area 62 (or “pool”) is disposed in a lower portion of steam chamber 60 , beneath the first steam compartment 76 and the lower portion of second steam compartment 80 .
- the pool 62 holds the liquid (typically “tap” water) that is heated to generate steam.
- the pool 62 is filled via a water inlet port 64 on the right side and drained via a pool drain 66 located on the right side that connects to the main drain line 99 for the steamer via a drain valve 68 .
- the floor of the pool 62 is advantageously slightly angled to the right so that the water is directed to the pool drain 66 and is shallower on the left than on the right.
- One or more electric heating elements 20 are provided to supply sufficient heat to the pool 62 so as generate steam.
- These electrical resistance heaters 20 are advantageously positioned directly below the pool 62 and may come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
- each heating element 20 is a rectangular shaped block of aluminum with an embedded electrical resistance core and a thermal fuse 24 .
- a plurality of these heating elements 20 are attached to the underside of the pool 62 of the steam chamber 60 .
- a compressible heat transfer layer (not shown) may be used, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,388, which is incorporated herein by reference.
- An automatically resetting thermal sensor 22 is advantageously associated with the heating elements 20 , such as being mounted to the side of one of the heating elements 20 .
- the thermal sensor 22 is advantageously disposed in a location that is external to all moisture (steam/water) contact areas of the cooking device 10 .
- other heating element arrangements are encompassed by the present invention, including but not limited to common electrical resistance heaters, film resistance heaters, induction heaters, and gas heaters.
- the heating elements 20 may alternatively be located in the pool 62 , rather than underneath the pool 62 if desired. The operation of the heating element(s) 20 may be controlled as discussed further below.
- the first steam compartment 76 is disposed between the pool 62 and the floor 50 . Steam generated by the heated water in the pool 62 naturally rises into the first steam compartment 76 . It is intended that there will be unforced flow through the first steam compartment 76 , as described further below.
- the first steam compartment 76 and thus the steam chamber 60 , is separated from the cooking cavity 30 by the floor 50 of the cooking cavity 30 , meaning the cooking cavity's floor 50 may also form the “ceiling” of the first steam compartment 76 in some embodiments.
- Second steam compartment 80 is disposed generally vertically along a selected side of the cooking cavity 30 .
- the lower portion of second steam compartment 80 is defined by the water in pool 62 (or the floor of pool 62 in the absence of water).
- Right sidewall 48 helps define the boundary between second steam compartment 80 and cooking cavity 30 .
- the secondary holes 54 in sidewall 48 allow steam from second steam compartment 80 to enter cooking cavity 30 via natural convection.
- steam entering the second steam compartment 80 flows upward by natural convection through the second steam compartment 80 and out the secondary holes 54 into the cooking cavity 30 .
- Exhaust port 94 is disposed in a rear portion of second steam chamber 80 , on a wall opposite right sidewall 48 . Exhaust port 94 connects to the exhaust control system 90 as discussed further below.
- the exhaust port 94 is located at a height above the inlet port 64 , and acts as a water overflow port to prevent overfilling of the pool 62 .
- the exhaust control system 90 includes an exhaust chamber 92 , a spray nozzle 95 , and a drain port 98 .
- the exhaust chamber 92 is operatively connected to the second steam compartment 80 of steam chamber 60 via the exhaust port 94 .
- the exhaust chamber 92 includes a downwardly extending baffle 96 that divides the exhaust chamber 92 into front and rear portions.
- the rear portion includes the drain port 98 , which advantageously takes the form of a vertically extending open pipe structure.
- the drain port 98 provides a fluid flow path to the main drain line 99 of the steamer 10 .
- the upper end of the drain port 98 is higher than both the lowest part of exhaust port 94 and the lower end of the baffle 92 .
- water will fill the exhaust chamber 92 to a level that is above the lower end of the baffle 92 , but at or below the upper end of the drain port 98 , so that a steam trap is formed in the front portion of the exhaust chamber 92 .
- the spray nozzle 95 is located above the drain port 98 , and sprays water into the rear portion of the exhaust chamber 92 .
- This pressure is communicated to the exhaust chamber 92 via the exhaust port 94 .
- the rise in pressure may cause steam to break the steam trap formed at the baffle 92 , but the spray from the spray nozzle 95 will act to cool the steam down to acceptable levels for draining into a municipal wastewater system.
- the exhaust port 94 may advantageously take the form of a cluster of slots with a smaller size, such as 1 ⁇ 4 inch width, that are staggered in height so that one or more of the slots are lower than the others.
- the size of the drain port 98 , drain line 99 , and all other possible constrictions downstream from the exhaust port 94 are advantageously larger, such as 3 ⁇ 4 inch minimum, so as to reduce the opportunity for clogging.
- the top of the exhaust chamber 92 may advantageously be removable, so as to allow access to the exhaust chamber 92 for cleaning, but should be suitably sealed against the anticipated steam pressures.
- the exhaust chamber 92 may advantageously be oriented relatively sideways, so as to project laterally outward from the area of the cooking cavity, so that the exhaust chamber 92 may reside within the lateral space for the controls 14 without increasing the overall width of the unit 10 .
- the primary path 110 is from the first steam compartment 76 of steam chamber 60 , through the primary holes 52 in the floor 50 of the cooking cavity 30 , into the cooking cavity 30 , and then back to the steam chamber 60 .
- the secondary path 120 is from the second steam compartment 80 of the steam chamber 60 , out the secondary holes 54 in the right sidewall 48 into the cooking cavity 30 , and then back to the steam chamber 60 .
- the flow of steam along both paths 110 , 120 is via natural convection. That is, the flow along the paths 110 , 120 is not caused by any sort of fan or other means typically associated with forced flow. It should be understood that natural convection does not preclude slight pressure differentials along the path, but there is not any propulsion mechanism located along either flow path 110 , 120 .
- the on/off switch 17 is advantageously mechanically linked to the pool drain valve 66 , such as via a connecting rod, so that when on/off switch 17 is in the on position, the valve 66 is closed, but when the on/off switch 17 is turned to the off position, the valve 66 is opened.
- both the on/off switch and the door-open sensor 14 are electrically linked to the water valve 74 so that the water valve 74 is open when the unit 10 is on and the door 12 is closed, otherwise, the water valve 74 is closed. See FIGS. 7-8 .
- the water valve 74 When open, the water valve 74 advantageously supplies water to the pool 62 and the sprayer 95 at a continuous uniform rate such as a constant 0.12 gallons per minute. As can be seen, no water level sensor per se, such as a float valve, is required. Indeed, no control sensors are exposed to the water and/or steam inside the unit 10 .
- the control of the energization state (on or off) of the heating elements 20 is relatively simple in the steamer 10 .
- the heating elements 20 are energized in normal operation whenever the four following conditions are met: on/off switch 17 indicates that the steamer 10 is to be on, door-open sensor 14 indicates the door 12 is closed, thermal fuses 24 have not tripped, and thermal sensor 22 indicates a temperature of the floor 70 below a predetermined threshold. If any of the four conditions are not met, then the heating elements 20 are not energized.
- steam from the steam chamber 60 flows into the cooking cavity 30 via the primary holes 52 in the floor 50 and the secondary holes 54 in the right sidewall 48 . It is believed that substantial improvement in performance is achieved by directing steam into the cooking cavity 30 not only at the bottom of the cooking cavity 30 , but also directing steam into the cooking cavity 30 via at least one side of the cooking cavity 30 . In this manner, a portion of the steam enters low in the cooking cavity 30 , where it naturally rises to the top, while another portion of the steam is able to reach the middle of the cooking cavity 30 more directly. No known natural convection steamers were believed to provide such routing of the steam.
- the secondary holes 54 in the sidewall 48 were arranged in an array of three rows of slots, 1 ⁇ 4 inch by 4 inches, with twenty-three slots 54 in each row.
- the elapsed time between the first tray to reach 180° and the last tray to reach 180° was then measured for various slot configurations. It is believed that users of the steamer 10 desire that there be as little variation in time between the trays as possible, meaning that the minimum elapsed is considered the best performance.
- a steamer 10 of the present invention can be built using a generally rectangular cooking cavity 30 with dimensions of 131 ⁇ 2 inches wide by twenty-four inches deep by 151 ⁇ 2 inches high resulting in a volume of approximately three cubic feet; a pool 62 with dimensions of 161 ⁇ 4 inches wide by twenty-two inches deep by 5 ⁇ 8 inches high and a 2° sloping floor and holding approximately 7 ⁇ 8 of a gallon of water; a first steam compartment 76 of general dimensions 161 ⁇ 4 inches wide by twenty-two inches deep by 21 ⁇ 2 inches high; a second steam compartment 80 of general dimensions of 21 ⁇ 2 inches wide by 161 ⁇ 4 inches deep by sixteen inches high; primary and secondary holes 52 , 54 as described above, six electrical heating elements 20 of 1850 watts; and a thermal sensor 22 designed to trip at a temperature of 420°.
- a thermal sensor 22 designed to trip at a temperature of 420°.
- Such a unit is appropriate for holding five common trays of food.
- the steamer 10 may optionally include a condensate tray (not shown) attached to the door 12 for catching condensate.
- a condensate tray may optionally include a drain hole disposed close to the door's pivot axis that feeds water therein into a drip tray attached to the main housing of the steamer 10 .
- a drain line may connect this drip tray to the drain line 99 if desired.
- the condensate tray may be made reversible by having suitably mounted drain holes toward each end, with the drain hole located farthest from the door's pivot being suitably plugged.
- the door-open sensor 14 may take the form of a conventional contact switch that is activated by an arm (not shown) that is pivotally mounted to the steamer's housing at a midpoint of the arm's length, above the cooking cavity.
- a pin attached to the arm may advantageously extend out the midpoint of the cooking cavity, so that the door pushes against the pin at the same point regardless of the mounting orientation of the door.
- the exhaust chamber 92 of the exhaust control system 90 may include backup overflow prevention in the form of an overflow port 97 placed high in the front portion of exhaust chamber 92 .
- This overflow port may be vented to atmosphere with the understanding that some steam may be vented to atmosphere via the overflow port 97 .
- the overflow port 97 may advantageously be located at a height above the highest expected water level in normal operation, but below the lowest level of the opening for the door 12 , so that water should not flow out the front of the unit 10 even if drain port 98 or drain line 99 somehow become clogged.
- the right sidewall 48 may be made to be removable from the unit 10 , if desired, such as by having the right sidewall hang on suitable mounting knobs.
- the secondary holes 54 may instead be in the rear sidewall 44 , or the left sidewall 42 , or some combination of the sidewalls 42 , 44 , 48 .
- references in the accompanying claims to the steam flowing into the cooking cavity 30 via a sidewall 48 , and the like, should be construed to cover steam flowing into the cooking cavity 30 via the appropriate holes in one or more of the sidewalls 42 , 44 , 48 , unless otherwise indicated.
- the holes for routing steam to the cooking cavity are located only in the floor 50 and two or less sidewalls, preferably only one sidewall.
- water as an illustrative fluid in the pool 62 for generating steam. It should be understood that pure water is not required; for instance, suitable agents may be added to the water to help prevent scaling, as is known in the art. As such, the term “water” as used herein is meant to encompass any fluid that may be used generate a hot vapor (called “steam” herein) suitable for contact with food.
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Abstract
A method of operating a steam food cooking device having a cooking cavity, a pool disposed below the cooking cavity; and a heat source for heating water in the pool so at to generate steam includes: a) in response to turning on the cooking device, initiating a water flow into the pool and substantially simultaneously activating the heat source to generate heat; and b) thereafter, controlling the on/off state of the heat source based on a thermal sensor and circulating steam within the device by unforced natural convection. The pool may be thereafter automatically drained in response to turning off the cooking device prior to repeating steps a and b. The water inflow into the pool may be via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of the bottom. Steam cooking devices suitable for such method(s) are also described.
Description
- The present invention relates generally to the field of commercial steam cooking devices.
- Modern steam ovens operate by heating water to generate steam and then supplying the steam to a cooking cavity containing food. Some of these steam ovens operate at low pressures, slightly above atmospheric, while others are openly vented to atmosphere. For either arrangement, most commercially available steam ovens require a substantial amount of time, on the order of 15-20 minutes, in order to start generating steam once the steam oven is turned on. Obviously, shortening this delay between turning on the steam oven and steam generation would lead to better energy efficiency and increased user satisfaction. However, efforts directed to shortening the delay have not yet resulted in significant success. Further, the control systems for steam ovens can sometimes be overly complicated, leading to increased costs.
- In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of operating a steam food cooking device having a cooking cavity, a pool disposed below the cooking cavity; and a heat source for heating water in the pool so at to generate steam, the method comprising: a) in response to turning on the cooking device, initiating a water flow into the pool and substantially simultaneously activating the heat source to generate heat; and b) thereafter, controlling the on/off state of the heat source based on a thermal sensor and circulating steam within the device by unforced natural convection. The method may further comprise thereafter automatically draining the pool in response to turning off the cooking device; and thereafter repeating steps a and b. The method may further comprise feeding water to the pool at a uniform rate during step b. The controlling the heat source may comprise turning the heat source off in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature and thereafter automatically turning the heat source back on in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature below the predetermined temperature. The pool may have a bottom disposed at an angle relative to horizontal, and the initiating a water flow into the pool may comprise initiating a water flow into the pool via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of the bottom. The heat source may comprise one or more electrical heating elements disposed in thermal communication with the pool. The method may further comprise limiting pressures in the cooking chamber to not more than slightly above atmosphere by connecting the cooking cavity to atmosphere via exhaust duct and a cap that moveably engages the exhaust duct. The cooking device may comprise a steam trap assembly disposed adjacent the cooking cavity and having downwardly extending baffle; and the method may further comprise, after step a, feeding water from the pool to the steam trap assembly.
- In another aspect, the present invention may provide a natural convection steam cooking device, comprising: a cooking cavity; a steam chamber disposed below the cooking cavity, having a pool, and operatively connected to the cooking cavity to supply steam thereto; a heat source for heating water in the pool so as to generate steam in the steam chamber; wherein, in response to turning on the cooking device, water feed into the pool begins and the heat source is substantially simultaneously activated. The heat source may comprise one or more electrical heating elements. The bottom of the pool may be disposed at an angle to horizontal, with a water inlet for the pool disposed on a lower side of the bottom, wherein the water feed is via the water inlet. The device may further comprise an automatically resetting thermal sensor connected to control the heat source such that heat source is turned off in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature, but is turned on in response to the thermal sensor sensing a temperature below the predetermined temperature. The cooking cavity may have a shape of a parallelepiped, with at least two walls defining the cooking cavity, not including a door, immovably fixed to the device and/or being non-porous. The cooking cavity advantageously has a volume of about two cubic feet or more, and is advantageously adapted to support a plurality of trays for holding food to be cooked.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a steamer according to the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cooking device ofFIG. 1 illustrating the steam flow paths. -
FIG. 3 is a view of the floor of the pool. -
FIG. 4 is a view of the floor of the cooking cavity. -
FIG. 5 is a view of the right sidewall of the cooking cavity. -
FIG. 6 is a partial side view showing the exhaust chamber. -
FIG. 7 is a simplified representation of the steamer ofFIG. 1 showing control of water supply, water draining, and heater energization. -
FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic of electronics suitable for use in the steamer ofFIG. 1 . - One embodiment of a cooking device according to the present invention, sometimes referred to herein as a steamer, is generally indicated at 10. From outward appearance, the
steamer 10 may appear similar to steamers currently available on the market. Indeed, as is typical for such devices, thesteamer 10 includes a latcheddoor 12 for providing access to thecooking cavity 30 and controls 16 to control the operation of thesteamer 10. Thecontrols 16 may take any form known in the art, and typically include an on/offswitch 17, indicator lights, atimer 18, and other suitable electronics, such as a door-open sensor 14 for sensing when thedoor 12 is open. The electronics of thecontrols 16 may be generally segregated fromcooking cavity 30 and may be advantageously vented to the ambient atmosphere for cooling. - The
cooking cavity 30 typically takes the form of a substantially parallelepiped chamber, preferably substantially rectangular chamber, with racks (not shown) for supportingfood trays 5 as is known in the art. Thecooking cavity 30 is bounded bysuitable sidewalls floor 50, aceiling 46, and the inside of thedoor 12. Thesidewalls ceiling 46 are advantageously immovably fixed to thedevice 10 and non-porous. In most embodiments, thecooking cavity 30 that has a volume of about two cubic feet or more. In the present invention, thecooking cavity 30 may be vented to the atmosphere via anexhaust system 32 that typically includes anexhaust duct 34 and associatedcap 36. Thecap 36 acts as a slight damper on the venting of gases from thecooking cavity 30. However, once the pressure in thecooking cavity 30 reaches a sufficient level to overcome the weight of thecap 36, thecap 36 is displaced in a “burping” action that vents some gases from thecooking cavity 30, thereby preventing significant build-up of pressure therein. In preferred embodiments, thecap 36 is designed to prevent the build-up of pressures more than slightly above atmospheric in thecooking cavity 30, such as of not more than about five inches of water column. As such, no special pressure vessel structure or certification should be required for thesteamer 10. - In the illustrative embodiment, the
ceiling 46,rear sidewall 44, andleft sidewall 42 are solid, while thefloor 50 and theright sidewall 48 have a plurality ofholes floor 50 has a plurality of holes, referred to herein as theprimary holes 52, that connect to thesteam chamber 60 as discussed below. Theprimary holes 52 may advantageously be arranged in two arrays of similarly sized holes. For example, there may be sixteen rows of sixholes 52 each in a middle portion of thefloor 50, with theholes 52 having a ½ inch diameter, and eightslots 52 of ½ inch by two inches arranged around the peripherally of thefloor 50. Of course, other hole arrangements may be used in other embodiments. Thefloor 50 may advantageously be readily removable from thecooking device 10 to allow access by a user from thecooking cavity 30 to at least a portion of thesteam chamber 60 for cleaning. If so, it may be advantageous to enlarge onehole 52 on each end to a larger size, such as one inch, to provide a clear finger hole to aid in removing thefloor 50. Theright sidewall 48 likewise includes a plurality of holes, referred to herein assecondary holes 54, that connect thecooking cavity 30 to thesteam chamber 60 as discussed further below. Thesesecondary holes 54 may advantageously take the form of an array of slots, such at the ¼ inch wide slots shown inFIG. 5 , but this is not required by all embodiments. - The
steamer 10 includes asteam chamber 60 located below and along at least one side of the cooking cavity 30 (seeFIG. 2 ). Thesteam chamber 60 includes apool area 62, afirst steam compartment 76, and asecond steam compartment 80. The pool area 62 (or “pool”) is disposed in a lower portion ofsteam chamber 60, beneath thefirst steam compartment 76 and the lower portion ofsecond steam compartment 80. Thepool 62 holds the liquid (typically “tap” water) that is heated to generate steam. Thepool 62 is filled via awater inlet port 64 on the right side and drained via apool drain 66 located on the right side that connects to themain drain line 99 for the steamer via adrain valve 68. The floor of thepool 62 is advantageously slightly angled to the right so that the water is directed to thepool drain 66 and is shallower on the left than on the right. - One or more
electric heating elements 20 are provided to supply sufficient heat to thepool 62 so as generate steam. Theseelectrical resistance heaters 20 are advantageously positioned directly below thepool 62 and may come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In an advantageous embodiment, eachheating element 20 is a rectangular shaped block of aluminum with an embedded electrical resistance core and athermal fuse 24. A plurality of theseheating elements 20 are attached to the underside of thepool 62 of thesteam chamber 60. Optionally, a compressible heat transfer layer (not shown) may be used, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,388, which is incorporated herein by reference. An automatically resettingthermal sensor 22 is advantageously associated with theheating elements 20, such as being mounted to the side of one of theheating elements 20. While not strictly required for all embodiments, thethermal sensor 22 is advantageously disposed in a location that is external to all moisture (steam/water) contact areas of thecooking device 10. It should be noted that other heating element arrangements are encompassed by the present invention, including but not limited to common electrical resistance heaters, film resistance heaters, induction heaters, and gas heaters. It should be noted, that while not preferred, theheating elements 20 may alternatively be located in thepool 62, rather than underneath thepool 62 if desired. The operation of the heating element(s) 20 may be controlled as discussed further below. - The
first steam compartment 76 is disposed between thepool 62 and thefloor 50. Steam generated by the heated water in thepool 62 naturally rises into thefirst steam compartment 76. It is intended that there will be unforced flow through thefirst steam compartment 76, as described further below. Thefirst steam compartment 76, and thus thesteam chamber 60, is separated from thecooking cavity 30 by thefloor 50 of thecooking cavity 30, meaning the cooking cavity'sfloor 50 may also form the “ceiling” of thefirst steam compartment 76 in some embodiments. -
Second steam compartment 80 is disposed generally vertically along a selected side of thecooking cavity 30. The lower portion ofsecond steam compartment 80 is defined by the water in pool 62 (or the floor ofpool 62 in the absence of water).Right sidewall 48 helps define the boundary betweensecond steam compartment 80 andcooking cavity 30. Thesecondary holes 54 insidewall 48 allow steam fromsecond steam compartment 80 to entercooking cavity 30 via natural convection. Thus, steam entering thesecond steam compartment 80 flows upward by natural convection through thesecond steam compartment 80 and out thesecondary holes 54 into thecooking cavity 30.Exhaust port 94 is disposed in a rear portion ofsecond steam chamber 80, on a wall oppositeright sidewall 48.Exhaust port 94 connects to theexhaust control system 90 as discussed further below. Theexhaust port 94 is located at a height above theinlet port 64, and acts as a water overflow port to prevent overfilling of thepool 62. - The
exhaust control system 90 includes anexhaust chamber 92, aspray nozzle 95, and adrain port 98. Theexhaust chamber 92 is operatively connected to thesecond steam compartment 80 ofsteam chamber 60 via theexhaust port 94. Theexhaust chamber 92 includes a downwardly extendingbaffle 96 that divides theexhaust chamber 92 into front and rear portions. The rear portion includes thedrain port 98, which advantageously takes the form of a vertically extending open pipe structure. Thedrain port 98 provides a fluid flow path to themain drain line 99 of thesteamer 10. The upper end of thedrain port 98 is higher than both the lowest part ofexhaust port 94 and the lower end of thebaffle 92. It is intended that water will fill theexhaust chamber 92 to a level that is above the lower end of thebaffle 92, but at or below the upper end of thedrain port 98, so that a steam trap is formed in the front portion of theexhaust chamber 92. Thespray nozzle 95 is located above thedrain port 98, and sprays water into the rear portion of theexhaust chamber 92. As the pressure rises in thecooking cavity 30 andsteam chamber 60, this pressure is communicated to theexhaust chamber 92 via theexhaust port 94. The rise in pressure may cause steam to break the steam trap formed at thebaffle 92, but the spray from thespray nozzle 95 will act to cool the steam down to acceptable levels for draining into a municipal wastewater system. It should be noted that theexhaust port 94 may advantageously take the form of a cluster of slots with a smaller size, such as ¼ inch width, that are staggered in height so that one or more of the slots are lower than the others. The size of thedrain port 98,drain line 99, and all other possible constrictions downstream from theexhaust port 94 are advantageously larger, such as ¾ inch minimum, so as to reduce the opportunity for clogging. In addition, the top of theexhaust chamber 92 may advantageously be removable, so as to allow access to theexhaust chamber 92 for cleaning, but should be suitably sealed against the anticipated steam pressures. Finally, theexhaust chamber 92 may advantageously be oriented relatively sideways, so as to project laterally outward from the area of the cooking cavity, so that theexhaust chamber 92 may reside within the lateral space for thecontrols 14 without increasing the overall width of theunit 10. - Steam is generated in the
steam chamber 60 and flows to thecooking cavity 30 and back along two different paths, denoted as theprimary path 110 and thesecondary path 120 for convenience. Theprimary path 110 is from thefirst steam compartment 76 ofsteam chamber 60, through theprimary holes 52 in thefloor 50 of thecooking cavity 30, into thecooking cavity 30, and then back to thesteam chamber 60. Thesecondary path 120 is from thesecond steam compartment 80 of thesteam chamber 60, out thesecondary holes 54 in theright sidewall 48 into thecooking cavity 30, and then back to thesteam chamber 60. The flow of steam along bothpaths paths flow path - The control of water supply is simple in the
steamer 10. First, the on/offswitch 17 is advantageously mechanically linked to thepool drain valve 66, such as via a connecting rod, so that when on/offswitch 17 is in the on position, thevalve 66 is closed, but when the on/offswitch 17 is turned to the off position, thevalve 66 is opened. Further, both the on/off switch and the door-open sensor 14 are electrically linked to thewater valve 74 so that thewater valve 74 is open when theunit 10 is on and thedoor 12 is closed, otherwise, thewater valve 74 is closed. SeeFIGS. 7-8 . When open, thewater valve 74 advantageously supplies water to thepool 62 and thesprayer 95 at a continuous uniform rate such as a constant 0.12 gallons per minute. As can be seen, no water level sensor per se, such as a float valve, is required. Indeed, no control sensors are exposed to the water and/or steam inside theunit 10. - The control of the energization state (on or off) of the
heating elements 20 is relatively simple in thesteamer 10. With reference toFIG. 8 , theheating elements 20 are energized in normal operation whenever the four following conditions are met: on/offswitch 17 indicates that thesteamer 10 is to be on, door-open sensor 14 indicates thedoor 12 is closed,thermal fuses 24 have not tripped, andthermal sensor 22 indicates a temperature of thefloor 70 below a predetermined threshold. If any of the four conditions are not met, then theheating elements 20 are not energized. - In the prior art, steam generation from a cold start was fairly slow because a timer was engaged when the unit was turned on, and the timer was typically required to expire before the heating elements were energized. This timer controlled delay was for the purpose of allowing sufficient time to fill the pool to the desired level. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the initial steam generation from a cold start is much faster. In these embodiments, the
heating elements 20 are energized immediately once theunit 10 is turned on (assuming thedoor 12 is shut) and water is simultaneously added to thepool 62. Thus, both theheating elements 20 and the water in thepool 62 begin heating immediately once theunit 10 is turned on, helping to generate steam faster. As a result, the built-in delay of the timer is avoided. It should be noted that the use of the automatically resettingthermal sensor 22 allows undesirable degradation of theheating elements 20 due to overheating to be avoided, both during “normal” operation and during initial start-up. - As discussed above, steam from the
steam chamber 60 flows into thecooking cavity 30 via theprimary holes 52 in thefloor 50 and thesecondary holes 54 in theright sidewall 48. It is believed that substantial improvement in performance is achieved by directing steam into thecooking cavity 30 not only at the bottom of thecooking cavity 30, but also directing steam into thecooking cavity 30 via at least one side of thecooking cavity 30. In this manner, a portion of the steam enters low in thecooking cavity 30, where it naturally rises to the top, while another portion of the steam is able to reach the middle of thecooking cavity 30 more directly. No known natural convection steamers were believed to provide such routing of the steam. - However, the inventors also discovered that some tuning of the size and position of the
relevant steam openings cooking cavity 30, but not all the way to the bottom, yields the best results. To run the experiment, five trays were loaded into thecooking cavity 30, each with a mass of a block of ice having a thermocouple embedded therein. Theprimary holes 52 in the floor were as shown inFIG. 4 , with ninety-four ½ inch diameter holes 52, two 1.0 inch diameter holes 52, and six ½ inch by 2 inch obround holes 52 along the edge. Thesecondary holes 54 in thesidewall 48 were arranged in an array of three rows of slots, ¼ inch by 4 inches, with twenty-threeslots 54 in each row. The elapsed time between the first tray to reach 180° and the last tray to reach 180° was then measured for various slot configurations. It is believed that users of thesteamer 10 desire that there be as little variation in time between the trays as possible, meaning that the minimum elapsed is considered the best performance. The results of the experiments are presented below:Top Row Middle Row Bottom Row Test upper lower upper lower upper lower Result A ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ 12 min B x ∘ ∘ x ∘ ∘ 9¾ min C x x ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ 4¼ min D x x ∘ ∘ x x 5 min E x x ∘ x ∘ ∘ 5 min F x x x ∘ ∘ ∘ 4 min G x ∘ x ∘ ∘ ∘ 7 min H x x ∘ ∘ ∘ x 4 min
∘ = upper/lower half of slot open
x = upper/lower half of slot closed
- As can be seen, the best results were achieved when the top row of
slots 54 were closed off completely, the middle row were completely open, and the bottom row ofslots 54 were half open (upper half) and half closed (lower half). This is the arrangement ofslots 54 is shown inFIG. 5 . It should be noted that the best results correspond to a ratio of cross-sectional area of theprimary holes 52 to the cross-section of thesecondary holes 54 of approximately 2:3. - Merely by way of example, a
steamer 10 of the present invention can be built using a generallyrectangular cooking cavity 30 with dimensions of 13½ inches wide by twenty-four inches deep by 15½ inches high resulting in a volume of approximately three cubic feet; apool 62 with dimensions of 16¼ inches wide by twenty-two inches deep by ⅝ inches high and a 2° sloping floor and holding approximately ⅞ of a gallon of water; afirst steam compartment 76 of general dimensions 16¼ inches wide by twenty-two inches deep by 2½ inches high; asecond steam compartment 80 of general dimensions of 2½ inches wide by 16¼ inches deep by sixteen inches high; primary andsecondary holes electrical heating elements 20 of 1850 watts; and athermal sensor 22 designed to trip at a temperature of 420°. Such a unit is appropriate for holding five common trays of food. - While not shown, the
steamer 10 may optionally include a condensate tray (not shown) attached to thedoor 12 for catching condensate. Such a condensate tray may optionally include a drain hole disposed close to the door's pivot axis that feeds water therein into a drip tray attached to the main housing of thesteamer 10. A drain line may connect this drip tray to thedrain line 99 if desired. Further, the condensate tray may be made reversible by having suitably mounted drain holes toward each end, with the drain hole located farthest from the door's pivot being suitably plugged. - In some embodiments, the door-
open sensor 14 may take the form of a conventional contact switch that is activated by an arm (not shown) that is pivotally mounted to the steamer's housing at a midpoint of the arm's length, above the cooking cavity. A pin attached to the arm may advantageously extend out the midpoint of the cooking cavity, so that the door pushes against the pin at the same point regardless of the mounting orientation of the door. - Further, in some embodiments, the
exhaust chamber 92 of theexhaust control system 90 may include backup overflow prevention in the form of anoverflow port 97 placed high in the front portion ofexhaust chamber 92. This overflow port may be vented to atmosphere with the understanding that some steam may be vented to atmosphere via theoverflow port 97. Theoverflow port 97 may advantageously be located at a height above the highest expected water level in normal operation, but below the lowest level of the opening for thedoor 12, so that water should not flow out the front of theunit 10 even ifdrain port 98 ordrain line 99 somehow become clogged. - The
right sidewall 48 may be made to be removable from theunit 10, if desired, such as by having the right sidewall hang on suitable mounting knobs. In addition, while the discussion above has been in terms of thesecondary holes 54 being in theright sidewall 48, this is not required by all embodiments. In some embodiments, thesecondary holes 54 may instead be in therear sidewall 44, or theleft sidewall 42, or some combination of thesidewalls cooking cavity 30 via asidewall 48, and the like, should be construed to cover steam flowing into thecooking cavity 30 via the appropriate holes in one or more of thesidewalls floor 50 and two or less sidewalls, preferably only one sidewall. - The discussion above has used water as an illustrative fluid in the
pool 62 for generating steam. It should be understood that pure water is not required; for instance, suitable agents may be added to the water to help prevent scaling, as is known in the art. As such, the term “water” as used herein is meant to encompass any fluid that may be used generate a hot vapor (called “steam” herein) suitable for contact with food. - It should be understood that the discussion above has focused on those areas relevant to one of ordinary skill in the art to understand and practice the present invention, and some related features. However, the discussion above has omitted several details of the steamer not relevant to understanding the present invention, as these details are understood by one of ordinary skill in the art without explicit explanation thereof.
- Although the present invention has been described herein with respect to particular features, aspects and embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that numerous variations, modifications, and other embodiments are possible within the broad scope of the present invention, and accordingly, all variations, modifications and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the scope of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Claims (18)
1. A method of operating a steam food cooking device having a cooking cavity, a pool disposed below said cooking cavity; and a heat source for heating water in said pool so at to generate steam, comprising:
a) in response to turning on said cooking device, initiating a water flow into said pool and substantially simultaneously activating the heat source to generate heat;
b) thereafter, controlling the on/off state of the heat source based on a thermal sensor and circulating steam within said device by unforced natural convection.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
c) thereafter automatically draining said pool in response to turning off said cooking device; and
d) thereafter repeating steps a and b.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising feeding water to said pool at a uniform rate during step b.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlling the heat source comprises turning said heat source off in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature and thereafter automatically turning said heat source back on in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature below said predetermined temperature.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said pool has a bottom disposed at an angle relative to horizontal, and wherein said initiating a water flow into said pool comprises initiating a water flow into said pool via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of said bottom.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said heat source comprises one or more electrical heating elements disposed in thermal communication with said pool.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising limiting pressures in said cooking chamber to not more than slightly above atmosphere by connecting said cooking cavity to atmosphere via exhaust duct and a cap that moveably engages said exhaust duct.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said cooking device comprises a steam trap assembly disposed adjacent said cooking cavity and having downwardly extending baffle; and said method further comprises, after step a, feeding water from said pool to said steam trap assembly.
9. The method of claim 1:
wherein said pool has a bottom disposed at an angle relative to horizontal, and wherein said initiating a water flow into said pool comprises initiating a water flow into said pool via an inlet disposed proximate a lower side of said bottom; and
wherein said steam cooking device further comprises a steam trap assembly disposed adjacent said cooking cavity and having downwardly extending baffle; and further comprising, after step a, feeding water from said pool to said steam trap assembly.
10. A natural convection steam cooking device, comprising:
a cooking cavity;
a steam chamber disposed below said cooking cavity, having a pool, and operatively connected to said cooking cavity to supply steam thereto;
a heat source for heating water in said pool so as to generate steam in said steam chamber;
wherein, in response to turning on the cooking device, water feed into said pool begins and said heat source is substantially simultaneously activated.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein said heat source comprises one or more electrical heating elements.
12. The device of claim 10 wherein a bottom of said pool is disposed at an angle to horizontal, and further comprising a water inlet for said pool disposed on a lower side of said bottom, wherein said water feed is via said water inlet.
13. The device of claim 10 further comprising an automatically resetting thermal sensor connected to control said heat source such that heat source is turned off in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature of at least a predetermined temperature, but is turned on in response to said thermal sensor sensing a temperature below said predetermined temperature.
14. The device of claim 10 wherein said cooking cavity has a shape of a parallelepiped.
15. The device of claim 10 wherein at least two walls defining said cooking cavity, not including a door, are immovably fixed to the device.
16. The device of claim 10 wherein at least two walls defining said cooking cavity, not including a door, are non-porous.
17. The device of claim 10 wherein said cooking cavity has a volume of about two cubic feet or more.
18. The device of claim 10 wherein said cooking cavity is adapted to support a plurality of trays for holding food to be cooked.
Priority Applications (1)
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US10/955,712 US20060068068A1 (en) | 2004-09-30 | 2004-09-30 | Accelerated steam generation method for convection steam cooking device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/955,712 US20060068068A1 (en) | 2004-09-30 | 2004-09-30 | Accelerated steam generation method for convection steam cooking device |
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US20060068068A1 true US20060068068A1 (en) | 2006-03-30 |
Family
ID=36099474
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US10/955,712 Abandoned US20060068068A1 (en) | 2004-09-30 | 2004-09-30 | Accelerated steam generation method for convection steam cooking device |
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Cited By (5)
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US20080223354A1 (en) * | 2007-03-16 | 2008-09-18 | Cleveland Range, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a steam system |
WO2012051832A1 (en) * | 2010-10-21 | 2012-04-26 | 佛山市顺德区依信嘉实业有限公司 | Automatic spraying device and heating equipment therewith |
EP2954782A1 (en) * | 2014-06-12 | 2015-12-16 | Roland Fürbas | Method and device for the treatment of dehydrated bakery products |
US20190239517A1 (en) * | 2018-02-05 | 2019-08-08 | Appliance Innovations, Inc. | Combination Drain System for Multizone Oven |
US20210247075A1 (en) * | 2018-02-05 | 2021-08-12 | Alto-Shaam, Inc. | Steam Generation and Drain System for Modular Oven |
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US5662959A (en) * | 1992-03-17 | 1997-09-02 | Tippmann; Eugene R. | Method for steam cooking a meat product |
US5869812A (en) * | 1997-09-12 | 1999-02-09 | Middleby-Marshall, Inc. | Pressure regulator for steam oven |
US20040226934A1 (en) * | 2003-05-16 | 2004-11-18 | Moore Roger R. | Boilerless steamer apparatus |
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2004
- 2004-09-30 US US10/955,712 patent/US20060068068A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US5662959A (en) * | 1992-03-17 | 1997-09-02 | Tippmann; Eugene R. | Method for steam cooking a meat product |
US5869812A (en) * | 1997-09-12 | 1999-02-09 | Middleby-Marshall, Inc. | Pressure regulator for steam oven |
US20040226934A1 (en) * | 2003-05-16 | 2004-11-18 | Moore Roger R. | Boilerless steamer apparatus |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080223354A1 (en) * | 2007-03-16 | 2008-09-18 | Cleveland Range, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a steam system |
US8387613B2 (en) * | 2007-03-16 | 2013-03-05 | Cleveland Range, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a steam system |
WO2012051832A1 (en) * | 2010-10-21 | 2012-04-26 | 佛山市顺德区依信嘉实业有限公司 | Automatic spraying device and heating equipment therewith |
EP2954782A1 (en) * | 2014-06-12 | 2015-12-16 | Roland Fürbas | Method and device for the treatment of dehydrated bakery products |
US20190239517A1 (en) * | 2018-02-05 | 2019-08-08 | Appliance Innovations, Inc. | Combination Drain System for Multizone Oven |
US10986843B2 (en) * | 2018-02-05 | 2021-04-27 | Alto-Shaam, Inc. | Combination drain system for multizone oven |
US20210247075A1 (en) * | 2018-02-05 | 2021-08-12 | Alto-Shaam, Inc. | Steam Generation and Drain System for Modular Oven |
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